Ky. Army officer gets 25 years for detainee murder

[David]

AP


FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. – An Army officer was sentenced to 25 years in prison by a military jury Saturday for shooting and killing an Iraqi detainee during an interrogation.

First Lt. Michael Behenna of Edmond, Okla., was convicted a day earlier of murder and assault, but acquitted of making a false statement. He had faced up to life in prison.

"We are disappointed at the jury's verdict and the sentence," Behenna's attorney Jack Zimmermann said.

Zimmermann said he has filed a motion for a mistrial, claiming prosecutors withheld evidence that could help Behenna's defense. The judge has scheduled arguments on the motion Monday, Zimmermann said.

Behenna testified he was trying to defend himself when he shot Ali Mansour Mohammed and that the detainee reached for the officer's gun in a secluded railroad culvert near Beiji, Iraq, in May.

Prosecutors said the detainee was defenseless against Behenna and the officer's threats and other actions showed he had planned to kill the man.

Zimmermann said Behenna wouldn't have brought along an Iraqi translator if he had planned to kill the detainee.

Behenna testified that he threatened Mohammed and pointed his gun at him to scare out information about a roadside bombing that killed two members of his platoon. Behenna said he believed Mohammed was involved in the bombing and could provide names of the insurgents responsible.

After the detainee was shot twice, once in the head and once in the chest, another Fort Campbell soldier testified that he tossed an incendiary grenade on the body.

Staff Sgt. Hal Warner, pleaded guilty this month to charges of assault, maltreatment of a subordinate and making a false statement. Warner, from Braggs, Okla., was sentenced to 17 months in prison and testified against Behenna.

As part of his sentence, Behenna received a dismissal and forfeiture of pay and allowances, said 101st Airborne Division spokesman Maj. Johnpaul Arnold.

[darrels joy]

Army Reduces Soldier’s Sentence to 15 Years

by Bob McCarty

On Thursday, the Army Clemency and Parole Board reduced the sentence of Army Ranger 1st Lt. Michael Behenna from 20 to 15 years, according to a news release from Rep. Mary Fallin (R-Okla.).



Lieutenant Behenna, who is currently serving his sentence at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., was convicted of unpremeditated murder in the shooting death of Ali Mansur, a known Al-Qaeda operative, while serving in Iraq.

Previous cases of similar or more aggravating circumstances, where the defendants were found guilty of premeditated murder, have resulted in less severe sentences, which prompted the Oklahoma Congressional Delegation to appeal to the board for a careful review of this case and relevant precedent.


A copy of the delegation’s Oct. 14, 2009 letter to the board can be found here.

For the complete story in one document, read “The Michael Behenna Story (pdf),” a 26-page document (PDF) by Carrie Fatigante.

To read other BMW posts about Lieutenant Behenna, click here.

For information directly from the Behenna family, visit www.DefendMichael.wordpress.com.

http://biggovernment.com/2010/01/22/...rs/#more-63814

[darrels joy]

Michael Behenna-Update

Published: 06/17/2010 Author: Larry Bailey Posted On: June 17, 2010 at 6:49 AM By: Kathy

Eagles! Sometimes it's amazing what a little note of support can mean to someone. An example is one I wrote to a young Army officer imprisoned under VERY questionable circumstances--killing an al-Qaeda terrorist who was attacking him. My note was very short, but it clearly meant a lot to First Lieutenant Michael Behenna, as evinced by his note back to me. Here it is. Mr. Bailey, I want to thank you for your support. I am truly grateful. I must apologize for taking so long to write you back. I have been receiving letters from people not just in the United States, but from people all over the world. Prison is a place I never thought I would end up in, especially under these circumstances. Every day I am treated like a criminal in the country I love, the country I fought for. However, what gives me hope for the future is the thought that there are people outside these walls listening to my story and advocating for my freedom like yourself. I devote most of my time in prison to reading, working in the textiles shop, and lifting weights. Working within these walls, we make up a whole new meaning to minimum wage--a mere fifteen cents an hour, and we work seven hours a day. This comes out to be about a dollar a day. Anyway, I expect to be released from prison in the near future, but I don't know exactly when. If I could ask something of you, it would be to continue to spread the word to anyone that will listen. Again, thank you. Sincerely, Michael Behenna Please go to Michael's website http://defendmichael.wordpress.com and help him recover his freedom. His imprisonment is especially galling to me since the US Military is allowing CONVICTED Iraqi terrorists to go free merely for signing a pledge that they will not rejoin the Taliban.

http://www.gatheringofeagles.org/vie...421772297.html